BWI evacuated due to 'unusual odor,' officials say

Passengers gather in the terminal after the piers were evacuated. (Photo: Brendan Wright/Twitter)

Passengers are being allowed back into all terminals at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport after several piers were evacuated due to an unusual odor early Monday morning, officials say.

The odor, of unknown origins, caused nearly an hour-long evacuation of Piers A and B in Pier B, BWI spokesperson Jonathan Dean said. The incident began around 8:50 a.m., when fire and rescue crews responded to a report of the odor.

Dean says that officials are investigating an item, potentially pepper spray, that was left in a trash bin near the security checkpoint at concourse B.

Airport officials said at about 9:35 a.m. that screening checkpoints on the A concourse had reopened. The B gates reopened about 20 minutes later.

At this point, little impact on flight ops @BWI_Airport.Will update with further info when available.